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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Joel 2:6 Nations writhe in horror before them; every face turns pale.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/joel/2-6.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/18/29_Jol_02_06.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Joel 2:6 - The Army of Locusts" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Nations writhe in horror before them; every face turns pale." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; 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every face turns pale.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/joel/2.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />Fear grips all the people; every face grows pale with terror.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/joel/2.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />Before them peoples are in anguish; all faces grow pale.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/joel/2.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />Nations writhe in horror before them; every face turns pale.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/joel/2.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/joel/2.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />Before them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/joel/2.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />Before them the people are in anguish; All faces turn pale.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/joel/2.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />Before them the people are in anguish; All faces turn pale.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/joel/2.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />Before them the people are in anguish; All faces turn pale.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/joel/2.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />Before them the peoples are writhing; All faces turn pale.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/joel/2.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />Before them the people are in anguish; All faces become pale [with terror].<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/joel/2.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Nations writhe in horror before them; all faces turn pale.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/joel/2.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Nations writhe in horror before them; all faces turn pale. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/joel/2.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />At their presence the peoples are in anguish; all faces are waxed pale.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/joel/2.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />The very sight of them is frightening. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/joel/2.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />At their presence the peoples are in anguish: all faces are waxed pale.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/joel/2.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />People are terrified in their presence. Every face turns pale.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/joel/2.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />As they approach, everyone is terrified; every face turns pale. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/joel/2.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />The people are terrified in their presence; every face grows pale. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/joel/2.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />Nations writhe in horror before them; every face turns pale.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/joel/2.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />People writhe in fear when they see them. All of their faces turn pale with fright. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/joel/2.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />At their presence the peoples are in anguish. All faces have grown pale.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/joel/2.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/joel/2.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />At their presence the peoples are in anguish. All faces have grown pale. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/joel/2.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />Pained are peoples from its face, "" All faces have gathered paleness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/joel/2.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> From its face pained are peoples, All faces have gathered paleness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/joel/2.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />From his face peoples shall be pained: all faces gathered a glow.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/joel/2.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />At their presence the people shall be in grievous pains: all faces shall be made like a kettle. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/joel/2.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />Before their face, the people will be tortured; each one’s appearance will retreat, as if into a jar.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/joel/2.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Before them peoples tremble, every face turns pale. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/joel/2.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />Before them peoples are in anguish, all faces grow pale.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/joel/2.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Before their presence the people shall tremble; all faces shall be dismayed and confounded.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/joel/2.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />Before him the people shall tremble and all faces shall be black like the soot of a pot<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/joel/2.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />At their presence the peoples are in anguish; All faces have gathered blackness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/joel/2.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />Before them shall the people be crushed: every face <i>shall be</i> as the blackness of a caldron.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/joel/2-6.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oEU9eLLsIkI?start=280" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/joel/2.htm">The Army of Locusts</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">5</span>With a sound like that of chariots they bound over the mountaintops, like the crackling of fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for battle. <span class="reftext">6</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/5971.htm" title="5971: ‘am·mîm (N-mp) -- From amam; a people; specifically, a tribe; hence troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock.">Nations</a> <a href="/hebrew/2342.htm" title="2342: yā·ḥî·lū (V-Qal-Imperf-3mp) -- Or chiyl; a primitive root; properly, to twist or whirl, i.e. to dance, to writhe in pain or fear; figuratively, to wait, to pervert.">writhe in horror</a> <a href="/hebrew/6440.htm" title="6440: mip·pā·nāw (Prep-m:: N-cpc:: 3ms) -- Face, faces. Plural of an unused noun; the face; used in a great variety of applications; also as a preposition.">before them;</a> <a href="/hebrew/3605.htm" title="3605: kāl- (N-msc) -- The whole, all. Or kowl; from kalal; properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every.">every</a> <a href="/hebrew/6440.htm" title="6440: pā·nîm (N-mp) -- Face, faces. Plural of an unused noun; the face; used in a great variety of applications; also as a preposition.">face</a> <a href="/hebrew/6908.htm" title="6908: qib·bə·ṣū (V-Piel-Perf-3cp) -- To gather, collect. A primitive root; to grasp, i.e. Collect.">turns pale.</a> <a href="/hebrew/6289.htm" title="6289: p̄ā·rūr (N-ms) -- Perhaps beauty. From pa'ar; properly, illuminated, i.e. A glow; as noun, a flush."></a> </span><span class="reftext">7</span>They charge like mighty men; they scale the walls like men of war. Each one marches in formation, not swerving from the course.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/9-6.htm">Revelation 9:6</a></span><br />In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, but death will escape them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/nahum/2-10.htm">Nahum 2:10</a></span><br />She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and laid waste! Hearts melt, knees knock, bodies tremble, and every face grows pale!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/13-8.htm">Isaiah 13:8</a></span><br />Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look at one another, their faces flushed with fear.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/30-6.htm">Jeremiah 30:6</a></span><br />Ask now, and see: Can a male give birth? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor and every face turned pale?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/zephaniah/1-15.htm">Zephaniah 1:15</a></span><br />That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/24-30.htm">Matthew 24:30</a></span><br />At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/21-26.htm">Luke 21:26</a></span><br />Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/7-17.htm">Ezekiel 7:17-18</a></span><br />Every hand will go limp, and every knee will turn to water. / They will put on sackcloth, and terror will overwhelm them. Shame will cover all their faces, and all their heads will be shaved.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/21-3.htm">Isaiah 21:3-4</a></span><br />Therefore my body is filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am bewildered to hear, I am dismayed to see. / My heart falters; fear makes me tremble. The twilight I desired has turned to horror.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/4-9.htm">Jeremiah 4:9</a></span><br />“In that day,” declares the LORD, “the king and officials will lose their courage. The priests will tremble in fear, and the prophets will be astounded.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/amos/8-10.htm">Amos 8:10</a></span><br />I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation. I will cause everyone to wear sackcloth and every head to be shaved. I will make it like a time of mourning for an only son, and its outcome like a bitter day.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/26-17.htm">Isaiah 26:17</a></span><br />As a woman with child about to give birth writhes and cries out in pain, so were we in Your presence, O LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/daniel/5-6.htm">Daniel 5:6</a></span><br />his face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/33-14.htm">Isaiah 33:14</a></span><br />The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling grips the ungodly: “Who of us can dwell with a consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting flames?”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/48-6.htm">Psalm 48:6</a></span><br />Trembling seized them there, anguish like a woman in labor.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.</p><p class="hdg">all.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/119-83.htm">Psalm 119:83</a></b></br> For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; <i>yet</i> do I not forget thy statutes.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/13-8.htm">Isaiah 13:8</a></b></br> And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces <i>shall be as</i> flames.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/8-21.htm">Jeremiah 8:21</a></b></br> For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.</p><p class="hdg">blackness.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/ezekiel/30-16.htm">Anguish</a> <a href="/hosea/11-7.htm">Bent</a> <a href="/joel/2-2.htm">Blackness</a> <a href="/hosea/13-8.htm">Face</a> <a href="/daniel/9-7.htm">Faces</a> <a href="/joel/1-14.htm">Gather</a> <a href="/hosea/10-10.htm">Gathered</a> <a href="/hosea/14-7.htm">Grow</a> <a href="/daniel/11-2.htm">Grown</a> <a href="/hosea/10-10.htm">Nations</a> <a href="/joel/1-18.htm">Pain</a> <a href="/daniel/7-15.htm">Pained</a> <a href="/daniel/10-8.htm">Pale</a> <a href="/jeremiah/30-6.htm">Paleness</a> <a href="/hosea/10-14.htm">Peoples</a> <a href="/hosea/6-2.htm">Presence</a> <a href="/ezekiel/23-14.htm">Red</a> <a href="/hosea/13-14.htm">Sight</a> <a href="/hosea/14-2.htm">Turn</a> <a href="/ezekiel/33-19.htm">Turns</a> <a href="/daniel/11-2.htm">Waxed</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/nahum/2-10.htm">Anguish</a> <a href="/micah/6-6.htm">Bent</a> <a href="/nahum/2-10.htm">Blackness</a> <a href="/joel/2-10.htm">Face</a> <a href="/micah/3-7.htm">Faces</a> <a href="/joel/2-16.htm">Gather</a> <a href="/joel/2-10.htm">Gathered</a> <a href="/joel/2-10.htm">Grow</a> <a href="/nahum/2-10.htm">Grown</a> <a href="/joel/2-17.htm">Nations</a> <a href="/amos/8-3.htm">Pain</a> <a href="/amos/6-6.htm">Pained</a> <a href="/nahum/2-10.htm">Pale</a> <a href="/jeremiah/30-6.htm">Paleness</a> <a href="/joel/2-17.htm">Peoples</a> <a href="/jonah/1-3.htm">Presence</a> <a href="/nahum/2-3.htm">Red</a> <a href="/amos/9-3.htm">Sight</a> <a href="/joel/2-12.htm">Turn</a> <a href="/amos/5-8.htm">Turns</a> <a href="/nahum/2-10.htm">Waxed</a><div class="vheading2">Joel 2</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/joel/2-1.htm">He shows unto Zion the terribleness of God's judgment.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">12. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/joel/2-12.htm">He exhorts to repentance;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">15. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/joel/2-15.htm">prescribes a fast;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">18. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/joel/2-18.htm">promises a blessing thereon.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">21. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/joel/2-21.htm">He comforts Zion with present,</a></span><br><span class="reftext">28. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/joel/2-28.htm">and future blessings.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; 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The imagery of nations writhing suggests a collective, intense reaction to an overwhelming threat. In the context of Joel, this could refer to the locust plague described earlier in the book, symbolizing an invading army. Historically, locust plagues were devastating in the ancient Near East, causing famine and economic collapse. Theologically, this can be seen as a divine judgment, echoing the plagues of Egypt in Exodus. The reaction of the nations can also be linked to prophetic literature, such as in Isaiah and Jeremiah, where nations tremble at the coming of God's judgment. This phrase underscores the power and sovereignty of God over all nations, a theme prevalent throughout the Old Testament.<p><b>every face turns pale.</b><br>The turning pale of faces is a vivid expression of fear and dread. In ancient cultures, a pale face was often associated with terror or impending doom. This imagery is consistent with other biblical passages, such as in <a href="/nahum/2-10.htm">Nahum 2:10</a>, where faces grow pale in the face of destruction. The paleness signifies a loss of hope and strength, a common reaction to divine judgment. This phrase can also be seen as a type of the final judgment, where all humanity will stand before God. In the New Testament, similar imagery is used to describe the fear of those who witness the return of Christ (<a href="/revelation/6-15.htm">Revelation 6:15-17</a>). The paleness of faces serves as a reminder of the seriousness of sin and the need for repentance, a central message in the book of Joel.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/j/joel.htm">Joel</a></b><br>A prophet in the Old Testament, Joel is the author of the book that bears his name. He is known for his prophecies concerning the Day of the Lord and calls for repentance.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/n/nations.htm">Nations</a></b><br>Refers to the various peoples and kingdoms surrounding Israel. In this context, it signifies those who will witness the coming judgment and be filled with fear.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/d/day_of_the_lord.htm">Day of the Lord</a></b><br>A significant theme in Joel, representing a time of divine intervention, judgment, and restoration. It is a day of both terror and hope, depending on one's relationship with God.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/l/locust_plague.htm">Locust Plague</a></b><br>Earlier in Joel, a locust plague is described, symbolizing devastation and judgment. This event sets the stage for the prophetic warnings in chapter 2.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/j/judgment.htm">Judgment</a></b><br>The overarching event in this passage, where God’s power and justice are displayed, causing fear among the nations.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_universality_of_god's_judgment.htm">The Universality of God's Judgment</a></b><br>God's judgment is not limited to Israel but extends to all nations. This reminds us of the universal scope of God's sovereignty and justice.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_fear_of_the_lord.htm">The Fear of the Lord</a></b><br>The fear experienced by the nations highlights the importance of having a reverent fear of God. It serves as a call to live in awe and respect of His power and holiness.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/r/repentance_and_readiness.htm">Repentance and Readiness</a></b><br>The terror described should prompt believers to examine their lives, repent, and be spiritually prepared for the Day of the Lord.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/hope_amidst_judgment.htm">Hope Amidst Judgment</a></b><br>While the passage speaks of fear, it also points to the hope of restoration for those who turn to God. Believers can find comfort in God's promise of redemption.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_joel_2.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Joel 2</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/bible's_view_on_prayer_and_fasting.htm">What does the Bible say about prayer and fasting?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_does_ezekiel_21's_judgment_align_with_god's_mercy.htm">How can the severe judgment imagery in Ezekiel 21 be reconciled with teachings elsewhere in Scripture about God's mercy?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_is_christ's_suffering_linked_to_redemption.htm">What is the meaning of Joel 3:10?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/do_they_exploit_widows.htm">What is the reward for fasting in secret?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/joel/2.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(6) <span class= "bld">All faces shall gather blackness.--</span>There are different explanations of this Hebrew phrase, which expresses the result of terror. Some translate it "withdraw their ruddiness," <span class= "ital">i.e.,</span> grow pale; others, "draw into themselves their colour;" others, "contract a livid character." The alternative rendering in the margin, "pot," which is that of the LXX., the Vulg., and of Luther's translation, is obtained from the similarity of the Hebrew words for "ruddiness" and "pot." The comparison is in this case between the faces growing black under the influence of fear, and of pots under the action of fire. The prophet Nahum uses the same expression (<a href="/joel/2-10.htm" title="The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:">Joel 2:10</a>).<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/joel/2.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 6.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness</span>. Peoples or nations writhe in pain or tremble at the sight of them, lest they should settle on their fields and gardens, destroying the "golden glories" of the one, and the "leafy honours" of the other. In the second member the word <span class="hebrew">פָארוּר</span> is <p><span class="note_emph">(1)</span> generally connected with <span class="hebrew">פָרוּר</span>, a pot, <span class="accented">rad.</span> <span class="hebrew">פדר</span>, to break in pieces, and translated accordingly. Thus the Septuagint: "Every face is as the blackness of a pot;" the Syriac also: "Every face shall be black as the blackness of a pot;" in like manner the Chaldee: "All faces are covered with soot, so that they are black as a pot." <p><span class="note_emph">(2)</span> But Aben Ezra connects the word with <span class="hebrew">פֵאֵר</span>, to beautify, glorify, adorn, and translates, "They withdraw (gather to themselves)their redness (ruddiness);" that is, they become pale. The 'Speaker's Commentary ' adopts this view of the expression, and illustrates it by Shakespeare's fancy of the blood being summoned from the face to help the heart in its death-struggle - <p><span class="accented">"Being all descended to the labouring heart;<br />Who, in the conflict that it holds with death,<br />Attracts the same for aidance 'gainst the enemy:<br />Which with the heart there cools and ne'er returneth<br />To blush and beautify the cheek again."</span> The parallel usually cited in favour of <span class="accented">asaph</span> being employed in the sense of <span class="accented">withdrawing</span> is, "And the stars shall withdraw their shining" (<a href="/joel/2-10.htm">Joel 2:10</a>; <a href="/joel/3-15.htm">Joel 3:15</a>). This proceeds on the supposition that <span class="accented">asaph</span> and <span class="accented">qabhats</span> have the same meaning of "gathering " - gathering up, gathering in, withdrawing. But D. Kimchi quotes his father (Joseph Kimchi) as objecting to this rendering, on the ground of the distinction which he asserts to prevail between them. <span class="accented">Asaph</span>, he says, "is used of gathering together, or in, that which is dispersed, or net present; but <span class="accented">qabhats</span> is not so used." <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/joel/2-6.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">Nations</span><br /><span class="heb">עַמִּ֑ים</span> <span class="translit">(‘am·mîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5971.htm">Strong's 5971: </a> </span><span class="str2">A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock</span><br /><br /><span class="word">writhe in horror</span><br /><span class="heb">יָחִ֣ילוּ</span> <span class="translit">(yā·ḥî·lū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2342.htm">Strong's 2342: </a> </span><span class="str2">To twist, whirl, to dance, to writhe in pain, fear, to wait, to pervert</span><br /><br /><span class="word">before them;</span><br /><span class="heb">מִפָּנָ֖יו</span> <span class="translit">(mip·pā·nāw)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6440.htm">Strong's 6440: </a> </span><span class="str2">The face</span><br /><br /><span class="word">every</span><br /><span class="heb">כָּל־</span> <span class="translit">(kāl-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3605.htm">Strong's 3605: </a> </span><span class="str2">The whole, all, any, every</span><br /><br /><span class="word">face</span><br /><span class="heb">פָּנִ֖ים</span> <span class="translit">(pā·nîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6440.htm">Strong's 6440: </a> </span><span class="str2">The face</span><br /><br /><span class="word">turns pale.</span><br /><span class="heb">קִבְּצ֥וּ</span> <span class="translit">(qib·bə·ṣū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6908.htm">Strong's 6908: </a> </span><span class="str2">To gather, collect</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/joel/2-6.htm">Joel 2:6 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/joel/2-6.htm">Joel 2:6 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/joel/2-6.htm">Joel 2:6 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/joel/2-6.htm">Joel 2:6 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/joel/2-6.htm">Joel 2:6 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/joel/2-6.htm">Joel 2:6 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/joel/2-6.htm">Joel 2:6 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/joel/2-6.htm">Joel 2:6 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/joel/2-6.htm">Joel 2:6 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/joel/2-6.htm">Joel 2:6 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/joel/2-6.htm">OT Prophets: Joel 2:6 At their presence the peoples are (Jl Joe.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/joel/2-5.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Joel 2:5"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Joel 2:5" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/joel/2-7.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Joel 2:7"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Joel 2:7" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>